Boko Haram attack brings total killed to nearly 500 in a year in Cameroon

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At least 480 civilians have been killed since Boko Haram has significantly increased its attacks in Cameroon and begun deliberately targeting civilians in suicide bombings, Amnesty International said today.

On the evening of June 29, six people were killed when a young boy detonated a bomb in Djakana, a district of the town of Limani in northern Cameroon, near the Nigerian border. The bomber died on the spot. Five people who were wounded during the attack later died in hospital.

“This horrific suicide bombing is just the latest in a series of attacks against civilians and demonstrates once again Boko Haram’s total disregard for human life. It illustrates the threat posed by Boko Haram in the far north of Cameroon and across the Lake Chad region,” said Alioune Tine, Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

“The Cameroonian security forces should take all lawful and necessary measures to protect civilians from such attacks, while ensuring respect for human rights. Those responsible for human rights abuses and crimes under international law should be brought to justice in fair trials not subject to the death penalty.”

From July 2015 to July 2016 Boko Haram has conducted at least 200 attacks, including nearly 40 suicide bombings in the far north region of Cameroon, which have killed at least 480 people. Boko Haram launched its first such attack in Cameroon on July 12 in Fotokol, killing 13 civilians and two soldiers.